In the residential and commercial construction industries, gypsum board with paper adhered to the surfaces thereof (often referred to a gypsum wallboard, or simply wallboard) is an extensively used building material. Generally, it is supplied in the form of large rectangular sheets which the builder cuts to size depending upon the particular project.
Although efforts may be made to minimize the wastage of material, a single construction site will often generate a substantial amount of leftover gypsum wallboard pieces which are essentially useless and which require disposal. A need for disposal also arises when homes or buildings containing gypsum wallboard are demolished.
Historically, the disposal of wallboard material has posed a problem. At the very least it is an uneconomic nuisance and, in some jurisdictions, it is considered to be an unacceptable environmental hazard. The material is not readily degradable and disposal may be prohibited at conventional dumps or waste fill sites. In some cases, the material is transported by barge and disposed of at sea.
The disposal problem arises because waste wallboard has no significant practical purpose so long as the paper and gypsum board remain adhered together. Further, when exposed to the weather and outside environmental conditions, the combination can deteriorate to a polluting sludge of paper and gypsum. On the other hand, if the paper and the gypsum board are separated, the sludge problem can be avoided. Furthermore, if the separation is sufficiently complete, then the paper and/or the gypsum can be recycled.
Accordingly, efforts have been made to achieve a separation of the adhered paper from scrap wallboard. One such method has involved the pulverization of the wallboard, but the resulting product has been an inefficient and difficult to manage mixture of gypsum board particles and paper fluff. As well, it is understood that chemical processes have been tried, but with results considered unsatisfactory either by reason of insufficient separation or excessive cost.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved method and apparatus for separating adhered paper from paper covered gypsum board.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved method and apparatus for separating and segregating a substantial amount of adhered paper from paper covered gypsum board.